Ford tops Indian car export charts in August 2016

Ford has become the largest car exporter from India in the month of August 2016. The American automaker has overtaken Hyundai to take the top spot. It shipped 17,860 units in the last month, compared to Hyundai's figure of 16,506 units. Maruti Suzuki, the country's largest automaker, was the third largest exporter with 12,131 shipments.

While Ford has been relying on the EcoSport compact SUV to drive its export numbers for the last two years, the new-gen Figo and Aspire have now started contributing to the overall numbers. The India-made Figo hatchback is now being sold as the Ka+ in Europe. The Figo and Aspire twins are also exported to Middle-East, Africa, and the ASEAN countries.

Meanwhile, the EcoSport too is making a strong case for itself, as it has become the most exported car from the country during this fiscal year. With 35,517 units shipped in the fiscal so far, the EcoSport has overtaken the previous leader - the Nissan Micra, which has had 31,605 unit exports. But with Ford now planning to shift production of the EcoSport to Europe, the exports from India will mainly be driven by the Ka+, which has recently gone on sale in the European markets.

Last week, Ford had reported that its plant in Sanand, Gujarat has achieved the 1 lakh production milestone, with around 50% contribution from exports. Ford manufactures the Figo and the Aspire at the Sanand plant.

Source: Autocar Professional